SWNOVELXO Chapter 279: Chapter 279: Frankness
"I'm sorry, but I won't make a deal with you."
Kuroba Kaito instantly realized Akikawa Kyousuke's purpose.
As Kaitou Kid, Kuroba Kaito had encountered fans and people who wanted to capture him.
However, there were also individuals who observed Kuroba Kaito's skills and tried to use him.
Some sought to assist Kuroba Kaito in stealing gems, hoping to establish a cooperative relationship and later ask for his help to steal other things.
When confronted with such people, Kuroba Kaito always refused.
Even if he couldn't steal a gem, he refused to be tied down or manipulated by others to help them steal something else.
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"I never said I wanted your help.
Could it be you're one of my fans?"
Kuroba Kaito's voice dripped with sarcasm.
Yet Akikawa Kyousuke's words didn't lessen Kuroba Kaito's suspicion.
After all, he had no connection to Akikawa Kyousuke and wasn't naive enough to believe Kyousuke would help him without ulterior motives.
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"Takashi Tsukino is trying to use you to gain possession of the consortium's gems.
Once you steal the gem, even if you later discover it's fake, no one else will believe it.
They'll simply think you replaced the real gem with a counterfeit.
This way, no one will covet Tsukino Takashi's possessions anymore, and their attention will focus entirely on you.
Moreover, I believe you've already noticed it yourself.
The security system for Scarlet Shadow Heart is completely different from the level of protection Takashi Tsukino initially advertised.
It's all designed to make it easier for you to steal a fake gem."
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Kuroba Kaito processed Akikawa Kyousuke's explanation and felt slightly surprised.
Initially, he thought Tsukino Takashi had replaced the real gems with fakes as a precaution, fearing they might be stolen.
Indeed, he'd been startled by how easily he bypassed Scarlet Shadow Heart's security.
Now, with Akikawa Kyousuke's explanation, Kuroba Kaito finally understood Tsukino Takashi's plan.
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'Could it be that Tsukino Takashi deliberately used the password [1412] to mock me?'
This was the first time Kuroba Kaito encountered such a strategy.
The heir of a consortium wanted to use him to steal gems and monopolize them, akin to laundering money through his actions.
Akikawa Kyousuke's frankness made Kuroba Kaito view him slightly differently.
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"So, you want to stop Tsukino Takashi from monopolizing gems that should belong to the Tsukino Consortium?
But you don't think I'd return the gem to the consortium, do you?"
Kuroba Kaito asked with a sly smile.
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"What he wants to do has nothing to do with me."
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Kuroba Kaito: "?"
He was baffled by Akikawa Kyousuke's response.
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"Then I don't understand. What's your goal?
How do you benefit from letting me steal Tsukino Takashi's gem?"
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For a moment, Kuroba Kaito even considered that Akikawa Kyousuke might be someone with a strong sense of justice.
But now, it seemed that wasn't the case.
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"You were shot at earlier when you obtained the gem and were about to leave, right?
The main reason you were attacked is that other people are also after this gem.
Do you have any idea who they are?"
Kuroba Kaito asked.
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"Just a rough guess," Akikawa Kyousuke replied.
"You remember Amuro Tooru, don't you?"
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"Of course, I remember him."
Kuroba Kaito had met Amuro Tooru at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center while rehearsing as the former Professor Matsumoto Kenichi.
At the time, Kuroba Kaito believed Amuro Tooru was just an ordinary employee at a luxury store.
He hadn't expected him to be working with the police and detectives.
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"That Amuro Tooru could have taken the gem from you but chose to let you keep it on purpose.
His original idea was for everyone to know you had stolen the gem so that the group after it would back off.
Unexpectedly, because you obtained the gem, a sniper targeted you."
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Kuroba Kaito fell silent upon hearing this.
Reflecting on the earlier incident when he was nearly sniped, he felt a chill run down his spine.
If Koizumi Akako hadn't intervened, he might have been gravely injured.
However, Kuroba Kaito didn't believe Amuro Tooru meant him any harm.
The fault lay with the group that fired at him, despite Amuro Tooru's good intentions.
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"You're here for Feiying's Heart. If you take the real gem, the other party will probably leave."
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"So, you just don't want the other party to obtain the gem?"
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"That's one way to put it," Akikawa Kyousuke nodded slightly.
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"Then why did you expose the original gem as fake? Wouldn't it have been better to let the other party continue being misled?"
"Because if I didn't, Officer Nakamori, who obtained the fake gem, might face unexpected danger."
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Akikawa Kyousuke's words made Kuroba Kaito freeze momentarily.
If the other party could fire at him without hesitation, they would likely target Nakamori Ginzo if they knew he had the gem.
Unlike Kuroba Kaito, Nakamori Ginzo wouldn't be able to avoid being shot.
Kuroba Kaito didn't want Nakamori Ginzo to get hurt again, nor did he want to see Nakamori Aoko suffer.
Now, it seemed Akikawa Kyousuke exposing the gem as fake had actually saved Nakamori Ginzo's life.
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"So, I believe you could take the gem and leave safely.
That way, when the other party sees you have the gem, they'll give up and leave."
Akikawa Kyousuke continued.
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"Then aren't you worried I'll get shot?"
"I'm not worried, because I just saw you survive a sniper's attack."
Akikawa Kyousuke smiled.
"If anyone else took the gem, those people would constantly monitor their life.
But you're different. When you steal gems everywhere, you've already accepted the risks of stealing priceless treasures."
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Akikawa Kyousuke then pulled out his phone and played the sound of a smoke alarm.
A piercing alarm rang out in the monitoring room.
Afterward, Akikawa Kyousuke tapped the screen to turn it off.
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"Now, Tsukino Takashi must think you've ruined his plan.
This will deepen his hatred for you.
For his plan to succeed, he'll have to deny everything I just said.
That means you need to reach his private room before he leaves."
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As Akikawa Kyousuke spoke, he activated a stopwatch on his phone and pressed start.
Kuroba Kaito saw the timer display [2:59] on Akikawa Kyousuke's phone.
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"In three minutes, I'll sound the alarm in Tsukino Takashi's room.
When that happens, pay attention to his subconscious reaction to the fire alarm, and you'll know where he's hidden Feiying's Heart."
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(End of Chapter)